If You Get Sick
Students
Experiencing Flu-Like Symptoms:
- Take your temperature. A fever of 100◦ For higher is a distinguishing indicator for influenza. Thermometers are available to students in their residence halls. Ask your RA.
- Call Student Health. If you are experiencing a fever of 100◦ F or higher and other flu-like symptoms, call Student Health at 681-WELL. Based on this conversation, diagnosis of symptoms may take place over the phone.
- Follow Student Health treatment instructions. They will work with you to meet your health needs during your recovery.
- Stay in your room. Students diagnosed with or suspected to have influenza should remain in their rooms and avoid contact with others until at least 24 hours after their fever resolves. Students should not go to class during this time.
- Care Care Meals are available to students who need help getting meals during their illness. Meals ordered through this program will be charged to the student's Duke dining account. Please note the deadlines to order meals are: 10 a.m. for lunch, and 3 p.m. for dinner. Meals can be ordered by using the Care Meal Order Form.
- Fill out the Short-Term Illness Notification Form.
- Undergraduate students: notify your instructor(s) and academic dean by means of the Short-Term Illness Notification Form if you are temporarily incapacitated and are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time.
- Graduate and professional students: notify your instructor(s) by means of the Short-Term Illness Notification Form if you are temporarily incapacitated and are unable to attend class or complete an assignment on time.
Returning to Class and Other Activities:
- Students should remain in their rooms until they have been fever free for 24 hours. At that time, they can return to their normal schedules, but are advised to limit their activity until they are at full strength. Overly strenuous activities can lead to longer recovery times.
Employees
Experiencing Flu-Like Symptoms:
- Faculty and staff who have flu-like symptoms (distinguished by a fever of 100◦ F or higher, and may also include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body ache, headache, chills, unusual fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting) should stay home during the period in which they are contagious and seek medical care as needed from their primary care physician or an urgent care clinic as necessary.
- Staff with flu-like symptoms should communicate directly with their supervisor in the same manner they would for any other illness. Staff with patient contact must also notify Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) at 684 -3136 opt. 2 or after hours at 684-8115, ask for EOHW Flu; Durham Regional Hospital staff: 470-5350; Duke Raleigh Hospital staff: 954-3952.
Return to Work:
- All staff who have flu-like symptoms must be free of fever for at least 24 hours before returning to work (updated Sept. 14, 2009).
- Staff must receive clearance from Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) prior to returning to work (updated: Sept. 14, 2009):
- Non-patient care staff: Submit a "Return to Work Assessment" form online or call EOHW at Main campus & Duke Hospital: 684-3136 opt. 2; Durham Regional: 470-5350 Duke Raleigh Hospital 954-3952; After hours: 684-8115, ask for EOHW Flu).
- Patient care staff: Contact EOHW by email (eohwflu@mc.duke.edu) or by phone to receive clearance to return to work (Main campus & Duke Hospital: 684-3136 opt. 2; Durham Regional: 470-5350 Duke Raleigh Hospital 954-3952; After hours: 684-8115, ask for EOHW Flu).
- Departments will receive confirmation when staff have been cleared to return to work.
Temporary Time-Off Policy:
- Absences due to influenza will be covered under existing University or Health System time off policies, unless a staff member has exhausted all accrued time off.
- Duke will establish a temporary policy to allow benefits-eligible staff members who have influenza and have exhausted all accrued time off (PTO – including short-term, long-term and carry over banks – or Sick Time, Vacation and Discretionary Holidays) to receive an advance of up to 3 days of accrued PTO (short-term bank) or Sick Time based on their regular daily work schedule.
- The temporary policy will be effective from September 1, 2009, through March 31, 2010, and can only be used by a staff member once during this period. The policy will be reevaluated next spring to determine if it should be extended.
- Advanced time will be deducted from a staff member's subsequent pay period accrual for Sick Time or PTO until the balance returns to zero. Additional communications regarding detailed procedures will be distributed to departmental HR and payroll representatives in the coming weeks.